Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, has insisted Princess Diana would be “very proud” of her sons Prince William and Prince Harry.

Sarah Ferguson

Sarah Ferguson

The 61-year-old royal – who has daughters Princess Eugenie, 31, and Princess Beatrice, 32, with her ex-husband Prince Andrew – grew up close to the late Princess of Wales, and has said she’s confident Diana would be pleased with who her two sons have become.

Sarah believes Diana – who died in a car crash in 1997 – would be “obsessed” with her grandchildren, as well as being equally proud of the two women her sons have chosen to marry - Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.

She said: "She would be very proud of her sons and their wives. And she would be just like me, obsessed with her grandchildren. Because that's what she loved.

“[Diana] adored my girls. She adored the boys. This would be her haven. Her heaven.

“If she were sitting with me right now, I know she would say, 'I am so proud of both of my boys and the wonderful wives they have chosen.’ Because each has got her own voice."

Sarah – who is affectionately known as Fergie – had been friends with Diana since they were teenagers, and Sarah credits her friend with helping her navigate life in the public eye.

She added: "We were best friends from when she was 14 and I was 15. She taught me so much of public life. She was so brave. We used to have the most incredible time together."

And the Duchess of York also shot down reports that she and Diana had fallen out prior to Diana’s death, as she insisted the pair were always “strong”.

Speaking to People magazine, she explained: "We promised each other we would always be together - there was never any daylight between us. But everybody wanted that, because we were so strong together. People want to break something so strong."